Chapter 19- In the Air
Hermione rushed out that day to meet Draco at the Quidditch pitch. It was warm for mid-April, but she took her cloak along just in case. It was another Hogsmeade weekend, and most of the students who were allowed were conveniently gone once again.
He was in the air when she arrived. She assumed that he was practicing for Quidditch, before remembering that Slytherin had no more matches this year. Watching him spin quickly in the air, changing direction in a snap, she realize that he was showing off for her.
He went into a steep dive, intent on the ground below him. She nervously watched. It did not seem that he would have enough time to pull out. "Draco!" she cried when he came close to impact. He leveled off, slowing down as he approached her.
"Don't ever do that again!" she demanded breathily.
"Certainly, mother," he said gravely, before breaking into a grin. "Give me a kiss or I won't listen to you today."
She did, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. She could not help smiling when they pulled away.
"So what did you think?"
"I think it looks very dangerous, as always, and I would really prefer you didn't do it."
"Hermione, it's not that dangerous," he said. "Really. As long as you know how to control the broom, there is no more risk than…having a pet flobberworm." She raised her eyebrows knowingly. "All right, more risk than *that*, but no more with the tricks than without them. I've not fallen off a broom for years. Nothing is going to happen to me."
"Is there any way you could guarantee that?" Hermione muttered. There was a reason she had never liked brooms. She knew her parents would never let her fly, had she been able to do so in the first place.
"I don't think so…but I do have one idea." He took her hand and pulled her closer. She was curious when he did not lean in to kiss her, but horrified when she realized what he meant.
"Draco, no- I can't."
"Trust me. I want to show you what flying can be like. I won't let anything happen to you."
"But it will be more dangerous for two people. Brooms are only made for one."
"This broom can carry at least two people, just not for a very long time. Besides, you're only a tiny extra person," he grinned. She gave a nervous half-smile. "Come on. You will enjoy it, that I do guarantee."
Before she knew what was happening, she had mounted the broom in front of Draco. Her heart was beating wildly. "Draco, I don't know. I'm scared."
"You're safe with me," he said in her ear, and kicked off from the ground.
She felt unsteady, even with Draco behind her. "No- not so high! Draco, let me down!"
"Shh, Hermione, stop moving. You're going to tip us over."
Her eyes widened. "That is not comforting."
"It won't happen if you relax. Here, put your hands on the broom."
She did, and felt better with the grip. She felt one of his arms encircle her waist, while the other controlled the broomstick. They flew steadily higher, and Hermione shut her eyes after having looked down briefly.
She heard a voice in her ear. "Open your eyes, Hermione. You're missing it."
She was dazzled. The sky was just beginning to turn. Subtle shades of purple, green, and orange had started to creep their way into the sky. They watched as the colors brightened and deepened.
Draco suddenly began to fly them around the pitch. Becoming accustomed to the movements of flying, Hermione was able to enjoy the wind on her face, the sensation of being so high in the air with no plausible support. She knew, though, that she would never have felt the same had Draco not been behind her.
"Do you want to take us down?" he asked eventually.
"I think I might kill us," she said.
He laughed. "You won't kill us. Listen, you might have to fly on a broom someday, you might not have a choice in the matter. If you don't learn, then how are you going to survive *that*? It's not as hard as you're thinking. We don't have to go anywhere but down, so just push down on the handle lightly. Lightly, or we might do into too steep a dive."
Nervously, she leaned her weight on the broom. Draco's hand left the handle as his arm joined the other around her waist. Falling did not seem like an option. Excited, she pushed a little harder. The broom plummeted, and she screamed.
A little of the pressure around her middle loosened, and their descent was halted. She turned slightly, enough to see Draco's look. "I'm sorry, I told you I don't know what I'm doing!"
"Don't try a dive until you actually know how to fly," he said affectionately. "There's only a small distance to the ground. Why don't you finish."
Hermione felt an immense relief when her feet touched the ground. "I don't think I'll ever do that again."
He took the broom up in his hand. "But don't you think it was worth it that one time?"
An appreciative smile was her thanks to him. "Very much. It was beautiful."
"Any time you want a good view of a sunset, I'll be here."
"Any time you want something to gloat about, you can take me flying," she joked.
"I might take you up on that offer," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"I was not serious!"
"So I don't get to gloat?"
"Just taunt me about wandless magic. That should be good enough."
"Oh, but it's so much fun scaring you half to death. Then I get to comfort you. And I get an excuse to hug you from behind for an extended period of time. What more could a guy ask for?" Draco looked at her expectantly.
"I should have expected you to say that, I suppose," she sighed.
"Yes, you really should have. If you really knew me…"
"Can I have a hug?" she asked. A sudden chill had come over her, and she felt the need for comforting arms. Draco, in his usual wonderful way, sensed what she wanted, put his broom on the ground, and embraced her. She sank into the support of his hug, standing safe and warm near the Slytherin locker room.
"I love you, Hermione," he said. "Anything you want from me, just ask."
Despite her contentment, she thought she might cry. She was getting the feeling that she would soon go for quite a while lacking in good feelings. Lacking in Draco Malfoy.
************************************************************************
"Is two hours long enough for a broom polishing?" Harry wondered.
"Nothing's too long for a Firebolt, Harry, but I think my Cleansweep's had all the polishing it can take. Let's go out, come on."
They never got the chance for a go on their newly polished brooms. As soon as they stepped out onto the pitch, they saw a figure in the air. The pale, slicked hair was unmistakable. "Malfoy, just our luck. Doesn't he go to Hogsmeade?" Ron snarled.
"I guess we should go," Harry said. "No point running into the enemy if we don't have to…is that who I think it is, sitting in front of him?"
Ron looked. Clearly, Ron saw what he had seen. "It's Hermione," Harry stated.
"What is she doing on *Malfoy's* broom?" Ron snapped. He stared up, looking surly.
"I'm not sure, but it looks like she is enjoying herself."
"Enjoying herself! If this is not the foulest prank-"
"Ron, stop. That's definitely Hermione, and she's definitely having fun. We'll confront her about it later. For now, just leave it alone."
They replaced their brooms in their proper positions. Harry had only kept Ron from flying up to them for the sake of Ron's school career. If Ron actually killed Malfoy, then he would surely be expelled. The truth was, he was just as angry as Ron. What was Hermione doing? Had she forgotten that Malfoy had called her a Mudblood on countless occasions, insulted Ron's and his own family so many times Harry didn't want to think about it, been horrible, evil, and sniveling since the day they had met him?
Did she not remember whose side she was on?
End Chapter 19
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! I have now surpassed one hundred reviews for this story. I feel so loved. HUGS!!
Thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed. Erica- I'm glad you noticed that about Come What May. There are two reasons I picked it. One is because it goes with the story, and the other is because I love it!!!
I'll be posting again within two days no matter what. Unless I can't get online, but that problem was taken care of so I shouldn't have one. Yay.
So, please review this chapter. You can have some chocolate confetti. :)
Hermione rushed out that day to meet Draco at the Quidditch pitch. It was warm for mid-April, but she took her cloak along just in case. It was another Hogsmeade weekend, and most of the students who were allowed were conveniently gone once again.
He was in the air when she arrived. She assumed that he was practicing for Quidditch, before remembering that Slytherin had no more matches this year. Watching him spin quickly in the air, changing direction in a snap, she realize that he was showing off for her.
He went into a steep dive, intent on the ground below him. She nervously watched. It did not seem that he would have enough time to pull out. "Draco!" she cried when he came close to impact. He leveled off, slowing down as he approached her.
"Don't ever do that again!" she demanded breathily.
"Certainly, mother," he said gravely, before breaking into a grin. "Give me a kiss or I won't listen to you today."
She did, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. She could not help smiling when they pulled away.
"So what did you think?"
"I think it looks very dangerous, as always, and I would really prefer you didn't do it."
"Hermione, it's not that dangerous," he said. "Really. As long as you know how to control the broom, there is no more risk than…having a pet flobberworm." She raised her eyebrows knowingly. "All right, more risk than *that*, but no more with the tricks than without them. I've not fallen off a broom for years. Nothing is going to happen to me."
"Is there any way you could guarantee that?" Hermione muttered. There was a reason she had never liked brooms. She knew her parents would never let her fly, had she been able to do so in the first place.
"I don't think so…but I do have one idea." He took her hand and pulled her closer. She was curious when he did not lean in to kiss her, but horrified when she realized what he meant.
"Draco, no- I can't."
"Trust me. I want to show you what flying can be like. I won't let anything happen to you."
"But it will be more dangerous for two people. Brooms are only made for one."
"This broom can carry at least two people, just not for a very long time. Besides, you're only a tiny extra person," he grinned. She gave a nervous half-smile. "Come on. You will enjoy it, that I do guarantee."
Before she knew what was happening, she had mounted the broom in front of Draco. Her heart was beating wildly. "Draco, I don't know. I'm scared."
"You're safe with me," he said in her ear, and kicked off from the ground.
She felt unsteady, even with Draco behind her. "No- not so high! Draco, let me down!"
"Shh, Hermione, stop moving. You're going to tip us over."
Her eyes widened. "That is not comforting."
"It won't happen if you relax. Here, put your hands on the broom."
She did, and felt better with the grip. She felt one of his arms encircle her waist, while the other controlled the broomstick. They flew steadily higher, and Hermione shut her eyes after having looked down briefly.
She heard a voice in her ear. "Open your eyes, Hermione. You're missing it."
She was dazzled. The sky was just beginning to turn. Subtle shades of purple, green, and orange had started to creep their way into the sky. They watched as the colors brightened and deepened.
Draco suddenly began to fly them around the pitch. Becoming accustomed to the movements of flying, Hermione was able to enjoy the wind on her face, the sensation of being so high in the air with no plausible support. She knew, though, that she would never have felt the same had Draco not been behind her.
"Do you want to take us down?" he asked eventually.
"I think I might kill us," she said.
He laughed. "You won't kill us. Listen, you might have to fly on a broom someday, you might not have a choice in the matter. If you don't learn, then how are you going to survive *that*? It's not as hard as you're thinking. We don't have to go anywhere but down, so just push down on the handle lightly. Lightly, or we might do into too steep a dive."
Nervously, she leaned her weight on the broom. Draco's hand left the handle as his arm joined the other around her waist. Falling did not seem like an option. Excited, she pushed a little harder. The broom plummeted, and she screamed.
A little of the pressure around her middle loosened, and their descent was halted. She turned slightly, enough to see Draco's look. "I'm sorry, I told you I don't know what I'm doing!"
"Don't try a dive until you actually know how to fly," he said affectionately. "There's only a small distance to the ground. Why don't you finish."
Hermione felt an immense relief when her feet touched the ground. "I don't think I'll ever do that again."
He took the broom up in his hand. "But don't you think it was worth it that one time?"
An appreciative smile was her thanks to him. "Very much. It was beautiful."
"Any time you want a good view of a sunset, I'll be here."
"Any time you want something to gloat about, you can take me flying," she joked.
"I might take you up on that offer," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"I was not serious!"
"So I don't get to gloat?"
"Just taunt me about wandless magic. That should be good enough."
"Oh, but it's so much fun scaring you half to death. Then I get to comfort you. And I get an excuse to hug you from behind for an extended period of time. What more could a guy ask for?" Draco looked at her expectantly.
"I should have expected you to say that, I suppose," she sighed.
"Yes, you really should have. If you really knew me…"
"Can I have a hug?" she asked. A sudden chill had come over her, and she felt the need for comforting arms. Draco, in his usual wonderful way, sensed what she wanted, put his broom on the ground, and embraced her. She sank into the support of his hug, standing safe and warm near the Slytherin locker room.
"I love you, Hermione," he said. "Anything you want from me, just ask."
Despite her contentment, she thought she might cry. She was getting the feeling that she would soon go for quite a while lacking in good feelings. Lacking in Draco Malfoy.
************************************************************************
"Is two hours long enough for a broom polishing?" Harry wondered.
"Nothing's too long for a Firebolt, Harry, but I think my Cleansweep's had all the polishing it can take. Let's go out, come on."
They never got the chance for a go on their newly polished brooms. As soon as they stepped out onto the pitch, they saw a figure in the air. The pale, slicked hair was unmistakable. "Malfoy, just our luck. Doesn't he go to Hogsmeade?" Ron snarled.
"I guess we should go," Harry said. "No point running into the enemy if we don't have to…is that who I think it is, sitting in front of him?"
Ron looked. Clearly, Ron saw what he had seen. "It's Hermione," Harry stated.
"What is she doing on *Malfoy's* broom?" Ron snapped. He stared up, looking surly.
"I'm not sure, but it looks like she is enjoying herself."
"Enjoying herself! If this is not the foulest prank-"
"Ron, stop. That's definitely Hermione, and she's definitely having fun. We'll confront her about it later. For now, just leave it alone."
They replaced their brooms in their proper positions. Harry had only kept Ron from flying up to them for the sake of Ron's school career. If Ron actually killed Malfoy, then he would surely be expelled. The truth was, he was just as angry as Ron. What was Hermione doing? Had she forgotten that Malfoy had called her a Mudblood on countless occasions, insulted Ron's and his own family so many times Harry didn't want to think about it, been horrible, evil, and sniveling since the day they had met him?
Did she not remember whose side she was on?
End Chapter 19
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! I have now surpassed one hundred reviews for this story. I feel so loved. HUGS!!
Thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed. Erica- I'm glad you noticed that about Come What May. There are two reasons I picked it. One is because it goes with the story, and the other is because I love it!!!
I'll be posting again within two days no matter what. Unless I can't get online, but that problem was taken care of so I shouldn't have one. Yay.
So, please review this chapter. You can have some chocolate confetti. :)